The 2021 AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin was held December 18 and 19, 2021 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. This event is the only all-breed dog show organized and presented directly by the AKC, the nation’s oldest and only not-for-profit purebred dog registry. Thousands of dogs from throughout the country and all over the world competed for Best in Show at this year’s event.
Including other weekend events held in conjunction with the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin, the overall show entries totaled more than 8,500 dogs.
This event celebrates the heart and soul of the sport of purebred dogs by awarding the AKC Breeder of the Year Award. Seven individuals are honored who have left a great impact on a specific breed. These breeders have dedicated their lives to improving the health, temperament, and quality of purebred dogs.
David Fitzpatrick (pictured above) was presented with the 2021 AKC Breeder of the Year Award for Pequest Pekingese at the AKC National Championship on Sunday, December 19, 2021.
The third annual posthumous Breeder of the Year was awarded to Julia Gasow of Salilyn English Springer Spaniels for her devotion to the breed.
The AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin® will air on ABC as a three-hour special on Sunday January 2, 2022 at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. The show will feature thousands of dogs from around the country and the world competing for the coveted title of America’s National Champion. Tune in to find out who wins Best in Show at the 21st annual event.
See below for results from the following events: AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes, AKC National Owner-Handled Series Finals, Junior Showmanship, AKC Obedience Classic, AKC Agility Invitational, AKC Juniors Agility Competition, and the AKC Fast CAT Invitational as well as the 2021 AKC Breeder of the Year.
AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed PUPPY/JUNIOR of the Year
Ashwood She’s Like The Wind, an Irish Setter known as “Windy,” owned by Genea White Jones & Laura Heidrich of Fountaintown, IN and bred by Genea W Jones, Timothy Jones, Suzzie Bambule and Laura Heidrich, won Puppy of the Year out of 1,395 dogs.
AKC National Owner-Handled Series Finals Best in Show
GCHB CH Rolyart’s Navigator @ Painted Sky Farms, a Welsh Springer Spaniel known as “Captain,” owned by Sharon Sherwood and bred by Cindy Ford and Shelley Traylor won the AKC National Owner-Handled Series (NOHS) Finals Best in Show, prevailing over an invitation-only entry of 816 dogs.
Junior Showmanship
In the Junior Showmanship competition, for handlers from between 9 to 18 years of age, Emma Rogers with her Bloodhound Sanctuary’s Big Time Love For Churchil was awarded the coveted title of Best Junior Handler, along with a $2,000 scholarship.
AKC Obedience Classic
Four obedience dogs and their owners – one dog/handler team in each of the four classes – were crowned at the AKC Obedience Classic, which brought together 248 dogs from across the country.
Placing first in their class (Novice, Open, Utility and Masters respectively) were:
- Novice: Cashmere’s Spirit In The Sky CD BN GN RA ACT1 ACT2J CGC TKN, a Golden Retriever known as “Kasper,” owned by Karen Thompson of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
- Open: Blue Skies At Dejavu UD, a Australian Shepherd known as “Willie,” owned by Kathleen Keller/Stephen Keller of Flemington, New Jersey.
- Utility: Meadowhill’s Play With Fire UD PCDX OM1 BN GO VER RE SH JHR, a German Shorthaired Pointer known as “Ember,” owned by Linda Montgomery of Mount Crawford, Virginia
- Masters: OTCH2 Windstar’s Dressed To Kill UDX3 PCDX OM4 BN GO RAE HSAs HSBs HIAs HIBs HXAs DS TKA, a Border Collie known as “Prada,” owned by Jeannie Dennard of High Point, North Carolina.
2021 AKC Agility Invitational
Five agility dogs and their owners – one dog/handler team in each of the five height categories – were crowned as the 2021 winners of the AKC Agility Invitational, which brought together 676 dogs from across the country.
Placing first in their height division (8″, 12″, 16″, 20″ and 24″ respectively) were:
- 8” – AGCH MACH6 Den Schwarzen Wirbel Purely Froggy Feelin CD RN MXG2 PDS MJC2 PJS MFG TQX T2B5, a Miniature Schnauzer known as Kermit, handled by Stacy Bols of Roanoke, TX.
- 12” – MACH3 Devongem A Star Is Born MXS MJG PJD MFS TQX T2B3, a English Cocker Spaniel known as Porsche, handled by Judith Kolva of Tremont, PA.
- 16” – MACH4 Noble D’Artagnan De Bien-Aime MXC MJC MFB TQX CA BCAT ACT2 THDN DN CGCA TKP, a Pyrenean Shepherd known as D’Artagnan, handled by Ela Zalo of Dallas, TX.
- 20” – AGCH MACH10 Justice MXC3 PDC MJB4 PJS2 MFC2 TQX T2B12 CGC, a Border Collie known as Justice, handled by Darrell Bommarito of Lapeer, MI.
- 24” – PACH Monark Run For The Roses Tallee CD BN RA MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX XFP CGC TKA, a Golden Retriever known as Tallee, handled by Jada Sawhney of Punta Gorda, FL.
AKC Juniors Agility Competition
Juniors who participated in the AKC Juniors Agility Competition competed in either the Junior Excellent or Superior Classes, depending on whether they had achieved an agility title.
Placing first in their height division (8″, 12″, 16″, 20″ and 24″ respectively) in the Junior Excellent class were:
- 8”- CH Sleepy Creeks Cup Of Joe CD BN MX MXJ (Beanz), a Papillon handled by Kendal Fabisiak
- 12”- CH Safranne’s I’M Just Chasing Rainbows AX MXJ (Silver Bullet), a Poodle handled by Danielle Wagner
- 16”- Blessings Chse Life AX AXJ NF (Chase), a Shetland Sheepdog handled by Lydia Hofmann
- 20”- Sagehill’s Taupe This in Pink! AX MXJ XF (Taupe This!), a Border Collie handled by Abby Zerm
- 24”- PACH Monark Run For The Roses Tallee CD BN RA MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX XFP CGC TKA (Tallee), a Golden Retriever handled by Jada Sawhney
Placing first in their height division (8”, 12”, 16″, 20” and 24″ respectively) in the Junior Superior class were:
- 8”- WHF Little Bitty Hazelnut OA AXJ NF SCN SEN CGC TKI (Hazel), a Miniature American Shepherd handled by Sarah Ford
- 12”- MACH3 PACH Tellstar’s A Little Bit Of Magic RN MXC MJC MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX NF OFP T2B CGC (Potter), a Shetland Sheepdog handled by Annalise Wilson
- 16”- September Family Blessings NAJ NF (Sep), a Shetland Sheepdog handled by Leanne Hofmann
- 20”- MACH4 Zonkers in a Galaxy Far Far Away CDX BN RE MXB2 PAD MJS2 PJD OAP OJP MFG TQX NFP T2B4 CA BCAT CGC TKN (Vader), a Golden Retriever handled by Kaylin Smith
- 24”- Gridiron Arrowhead Pride (Chief), a Golden Retriever handled by Connor Fuqua
AKC Fast CAT Invitational
The fastest dogs in the country were named Pure Speed and Speed of the Breeds Champion, which brought together 250 dogs from across the country.
Pure Speed Division:
Height Class 2: Cleopatra Queen Of The Fox RN NA NAJ FCAT, an All-American Dog known as “Gidget,” owned by Yvonne and Ken Smith.
Height Class 1.5: Missjiff.Gif NFP CA FCAT4 ACT2 ACT2J FM TKN, an All-American Dog known as “Gif,” owned by Maureen Setter.
Height Class 1: Wildtuck’s Momentary Lapse of Reason BCAT DE, a Whippet known as “Reas,” owned by Lindsay Gluth & Matthew Manetti.
Speed of the Breeds Division:
CH Windamirs Ottoman Emperor RN FCAT3 SWN SIA RATN CGCA TKI ATT, a German Pinscher known as “Otto,” owned by Meredith Krause.
The American Kennel thanks the staff, vendors, breeders, owners, exhibitors and dog lovers that work so hard to make this event happen each year!